Paul and Lucy Spadoni periodically live in Tuscany to explore Paul’s Italian roots, practice their Italian and enjoy “la dolce vita.”
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Saturday, April 26, 2014

"The Francis Effect" strong in Italy: "He never ceases to amaze us"

Sunday,
April 20The number one boys name in
Italy is currently Francesco, and it’s no coincidence that this is the same
name that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio adopted when he became pope in March
of 2013. For the most part, Lucy and I find the Italians that we meet are extremely
happy with their new pontiff. True, the Holy Father is head of the Catholic
Church for the entire world, but Italians have always been rather possessive
about the pope, since the Vatican is in Rome and at least 90 percent of the popes
have been Italian.

Pope Francis greets the public after Easter Mass in Rome April 22.
Photo courtesy of Albert Yu.

Of course they like the fact that he speaks Italian and that his parents were
from Italy, but their fondness for Pope Francis goes far beyond nationalism. Opinioni,
a political polling company, reported recently that more than four in five
Italians had a “positive” or “extremely positive” opinion of the new pope. Italy’s
Center for Studies on New Religions reported that around half of the 250
priests it surveyed reported a significant rise in church attendance since Francis
took office. The phenomenon has been dubbed by the media “The Francis Effect.”

“He has been able to get into the
heartsof many people, even those who are notCatholic,” said Launa
Raveggi, an Italian woman I see regularly during my afternoons of research at
the parish archives in Pescia. “He has a great ability tocommunicate.”

His humble lifestyle, compassion for the poor and willingness to speak out
against the excesses of the rich, including other church officials, are often
cited as reasons for his popularity. He
was noted for his simple lifestyle while archbishop of Buenos Aires, and he has
since refused the opulent trappings that usually come with his position. In
Argentina, he gave up his
chauffeur and took the bus to work, and as pope, he refuses to use the famous “Popemobile,”
a Mercedes-Benz, choosing instead to travel in a 30-year-old Renault. He doesn’t
wear glitzy gold or rich velvet robes; his papal wardrobe often consists of
sensible black shoes and a white cassock so thin you can see his black trousers
through it. He resides in a small suite in the guesthouse rather than the
luxurious papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace in Rome.

The
Italian economy has not yet recovered from the recent recession, and many
Italians often tell me their lives have been changed because of the current economic
“crisis.” A pope who lives simply, like many Italians have traditionally done,
is someone to whom they can relate. “My wife and I thinkthat hisway of
beinghumblehas an immensemedia power,” said Massimiliano Caniparola, an Italian friend of many years. “The gestureshe has
done andcontinues todobringpeople closer to
the Church.”

I didn’t realize how important his simple lifestyle was to the Italian people
until I saw a headline in an Italian paper stating that the pope uses a normal
toilet like everyone else. It could be translated as “He never ceases to amaze
us: The pope pees just like all of us do. Even in the bathroom, the pope gives
us a lesson.”

Of course his leadership is admired elsewhere in the
world as well. American Catholics
think the church has benefited from his leadership. A CBS News pool revealed
that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) say he has helped the church, while 27
percent describe his leadership as mixed. Not a single Catholic in the poll
said Pope Francis’ leadership has hurt the church. In contrast, Pope Benedict,
who stepped down last year, fared much worse in the CBS polls; 52 percent of
Catholics viewed his leadership as mixed; only 26 percent said he helped the
church.

I also asked Andrea Salvoni, a rare Italian Protestant who attends the Valdese
church with us in Lucca for his opinion. “Would four words be enough?” he said.
“Peccato che sia Catholic (It’s a pity
that he’s Catholic).”

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About Me

First off, before you hassle me about our title, Lucy thought of it. Yes, I know some people may think broad is derogatory, but the etymology is uncertain and she doesn’t find it offensive, and it made me laugh. We have been married since 1974 and are empty-nesters now, which allows me to bring my submerged Italophilia into the open. We first came to live in Italy from February-April in 2011 and have returned during the same months every year. From 2011-2015, we lived in San Salvatore, at the foot of the hilltop city Montecarlo, where my paternal grandparents were born, raised and, in 1908, married. In late 2015, we bought a home in Montecarlo. We come for a variety of purposes: We want to re-establish contact with distant cousins in both Nonno’s and Nonna’s families, we want to learn the language and see what it is like to live as Italians in modern Italy, we like to travel and experience different cultures. Even if we aren’t successful at achieving these purposes, we love Italy and enjoy every moment here, so there is no chance we will be disappointed. I am grateful to God for giving me a wife who is beautiful, clever, adaptable and willing to jump into my dreams wholeheartedly.